"You
don't mean to say you don't hate her?" said Lizzie. "If you didn't hate
her after all she has done to you, I should despise you. Don't you hate
her?"
"I think she's a very upsetting old woman," said Miss Macnulty.
"Oh, you poor creature! Is that all you dare say about her?"
"I'm obliged to be a poor creature," said Miss Macnulty, with a red spot
on each of her cheeks.
Lady Eustace understood this, and relented. "But you needn't be afraid,"
she said, "to tell me what you think."
"About the diamonds, you mean."
"Yes, about the diamonds."
"You have enough without them. I'd give 'em up for peace and quiet." That
was Miss Macnulty's advice.
"No, I haven't enough, or nearly enough. I've had to buy ever so many
things since my husband died. They've done all they could to be hard to
me. They made me pay for the very furniture at Portray." This wasn't true;
but it was true that Lizzie had endeavoured to palm off on the Eustace
estate bills for new things which she had ordered for her own country-
house. "I haven't near enough. I am in debt already. People talked as
though I were the richest woman in the world; but when it comes to be
spent, I ain't rich.
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